Whiffletree-hook



(No Mode'l.)

J. R. DAVIS.

WHIFFLETREE HOOK; N0. 397,112. Patented Feb. 5, 1889.

. 1m ill SJWWVW, %o%- JP; 19%;

IINTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN R. DAVIS, OF RACINE, IVISOONSIN.

WHlFFLETREE-HOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 397,112, dated February5, 1889.

Application filed May 24, 1888. Serial No. 274,936. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OHN R. DAVIS, of Racine, in the count-y of Racine,and in the State of \Visconsin, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in 'hit'iletree-Hooks; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention relates to whiffletree-hooks; and it consists in certainpeculiarities of construction, as will be fully set forth hereinafter,and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved device, partlybroken away, showing the parts in an open position for the reception ofthe cockeye of a trace. Fig. 2 is a similar view, partly in section, onthe line 2 2 of Fig. 3, but showing the cockeye in place and the partsclosed. Fig.- 3 is an end view, and Fig. is a section on the lines 4 ofFig. 1.

My present device is an improvement on that patented by me on August 31,1886, No. 348,191, and like that device consists of a ferrule and ring,to be applied to the end of a whiffletree.

A represents said whilfle'tree, having, preferably, a reduced end, 0,011which the ferrule B is fitted. This ferrule '13 is cut out at its outerend from about on e-third to one-half of its circumference, as shown atl), and the remainder of said circumference is formed into a beveledflange, c, which projects beyond the periphery of the ferrule, beingcontinued along each side of the cut-away portion, as shown at c, andterminating about in a line with the bottom of the notch 12, so as toform on each side of said notch-bottom the lugs or stops (1. There aretwo other lugs or stops, 6, extending back from the flange c to the samedistance as the lugs d, the four lugs (1 cl e e forming, practically,the four corners of an imaginary square. In addition, at the inner endof the ferrule there is another lug, f, locatedabout midway between thedescribed lugs or flange ends d d.

C is the hook, formed in one piece with its ring g, encircling theferrule, and having its extreme end h bent at an aln-upt angle to theadjacent part of said hook, so as to exactly conform to the bevel of theinner face of the described flange c on the ferrule, as best shown inFig. 2. The ferrule is formed with two holes, opposite each other, onebetween the lugs (Z and c on each side, and when the hook-ring is inplace on the ferrule and thelatter fitted to the end of the whiffletree,a pin, D, is driven through each of said holes in the ferrule into thewood of the end a of the whiftletree. These pins are made of inalleablell'ul'l, tapered as shown, so as to readily penetrate the wood, andnotched out on oppoposite sides, as shown at 1 2", (the notch or groovebeing deepest and widest at its center and narrower and shallower ateach end,-) so that when once embedded in the wood it cannot readily bewithdrawn therefrom, as the fact of driving will tend to unite the woodand pins closely together, and the natural elasticity of the former willserve to crowd its fibers into the described notches, besides which themalleable metal will spread somewhat while beii'lgdriven and add to thefirmness of its hold thereby.

E is the cockeye, and j the trace end, to which it is secured.

In my previous patent on which this is designed as an improvement Ifound that sometimes the ring of the hook, when the parts were in thepositions shown in Fig. 1, had a tendency to slip back on thewhiffletree beyond the ferrule, causing the parts to bind, which isentirely obviated by my present construction; and, further, I found thatsometimes the point of my hook would slip off from the flange undergreat strain, and this I have remedied also, the angle of the point Itand the inner surface of the beveled flange 0 now corresponding, asshown, which gives the said point a hold on the flange like a finger andentirely prevents it from slipping off, besides distributing the strainbetween the hook and ferrule, instead of causing it to be entirely borneby the former, as heretofore. Again, as the point h is now within theouter end of the flange c, it is effectually guarded from accidentalcontact with various objects, which might otherwise tend to interferewith its free action.

The operation and adjustment of my present device are practically thesame as in my said prior patent and too obvious to require extendeddescription, the wide recess b afiording an opportunity for theinsertion of the coekeye flatly without twisting the latter to 5 oneside-or inserting it from its edge, which is often inconvenient whenattaehw'l to still? 1eather traces.

Having thus fully described my invention,

a 'l'errule titted thereto and secured by inalleable-iron pins d riventhrough holes in said :l'errule into the wood of the wliittletree end,said ferrule being notched or recessed at its periphery l'or 'l'roinabout (me-third to about one-halt of its OiP011111fUl'(fll((, tlJQVOlCtlflange extending around the said pm'iphery and down alongside the edgeot' the reeess, terminating in lugs on each side therein, other lugsextendinglmek from said [tango and forming the corners of a square withthe just-named lugs, a hook-ring surroulnling said ferrule ringsurrounding said ferrule and malleable iron pins adapt-ed to be driventhrough said holes into the wood of the whilfletrce end, and to limitthe play of said hook-ring between the heads of said pins and said lugs,substan- 1 tially as shown and described.

The combination of a whilt'letree end of and conlined between said lugsand pins, and a hook )ro jeeting from said ring and terminating in anabrupt angle-point conforming to and bearing against the inner surfaceol said beveled flange.

ln testimony that T Clililll the foregoing l have hereunto set my handat Raeine, in the eluuty of liaeine and State otf Wisconsin, in the pie'aence olf two witnesses. 7

JOHN It. DAVIS. W it nesses:

l Y. MeMlinnA x, A. (Lu-n June.

